Eddie Hall v Hafthor Bjornsson Betting Odds & Preview

The world of boxing has seen a new brand of fighters appear in the sport in recent times as YouTubers and celebrities with 'internet beef' meet in the ring to settle the score.

Now, two former winners of the World’s Strongest Man (WSM) are set to battle it out to end a grudge that has been lingering ever since the 2017 WSM competition, as Eddie Hall and Hafthor Bjornsson meet in a boxing bout scheduled for September 2021.

Hall and 'Thor', began this heated dispute three years ago when the Englishman beat the Icelandic to the famous trophy, as a result of an incorrect lift from Bjornsson, known as 'double-dipping'.

The two men will meet in what is likely to be the heaviest of heavyweight boxing matches in history, with Hall now focusing all his time on boxing, whilst 'Thor' is still dabbling in Strongman competitions - the Icelandic even won the prestigious Arnold Strongman Classic back in March 2020, three years after Hall called it a day.

Now full time in boxing training, the Newcastle-born stands at 6ft 3 and has trimmed down to a weight of 163 kg (460 lbs) when he won the WSM in 2017, to a weight of 196 kg (433 lbs) when weighed earlier in 2020.

Bjornsson, on the other hand, famously broke Hall's deadlift world record of 500 kg by an extra kilogram back in May of 2020, which further added fuel to the fire of this grudge, and the 2018 World's Strongest Man weighed an extraordinary 205 kg (452 lbs) at the time of the lift.

The bookies currently have Hall as the underdog at 11/8, but don’t let his supposedly inferior and smaller frame discourage you from backing him.

Despite weighing less and being six inches shorter, Hall has proved he has just as much if not more power than 'Thor', as seen in his popular YouTube boxing videos. Having a slightly lower centre of gravity may benefit him too with more agility to move around the ring, as well as more ability to stay on his feet after taking a heavy blow.

However, like any amateur boxer, Hall's technique needs work, rather than solely relying on pure brute strength. This is, of course, expected from a man who has spent the best part of 20 years throwing around ridiculously heavy weights.

The 2017 World's Strongest Man has the upper hand on experience of taking part in boxing matches, as Hall competed in a charity fight in 2012. Despite that day, we can cut the 32-year-old a little slack, as he was spending all his time consuming a near 20,000 per day diet and training as a Strongman, and not a boxer.

Hall did, however, showcase surprisingly fast feet and more predictably, hard punches, throwing his opponent around like a ragdoll every time they clinched. The former strongman, as mentioned, is now focusing every aspect of his life on boxing, hiring training partners, cutting his diet down to a slim (for him) 7,000 calories a day and training relentlessly for the September 2021 bout.

Despite the odds of 11/8, Hall could well be the favourite, considering he is now dedicating every minute to his new trade, whilst 'Thor' is still on top of the Strongman world.

At odds of 8/15, the man-mountain, Bjornsson, is seen as the favourite for this boxing bout and in a straight fist fight, it would be tough to see past him given his towering figure.

Known for playing 'The Mountain' in Game of Thrones and dominating the Strongman circuit in the past two years, the 31-year-old is going to need to make some serious adjustments to his diet, lifestyle and workout regime to match Hall's ability right now.

'Thor' claims to have already lost roughly two and a half stone and the Icelandic does look significantly leaner, compared to his considerably larger size (205 kg) from when he broke Hall's deadlift world record.

Despite having no experience in boxing, the footage available of 'Thor' shows huge resemblances to how Hall goes about his business too; a humungous figure who possesses freak power, but little skill.

On the evidence seen, Bjornsson may have a more effective way of defending against his opponent, by holding them at arms bay, due to his 6ft 9 height compared to Hall, who is 6ft 3. This could well be a good idea to use against an opponent who is likely to be swinging for the hills and in Hall’s case, not focusing too much at all on any form of defence.

If 'Thor' continues to bring his weight down, and prioritise boxing over Strongman activities, the height advantage may be a key factor here and the 2018 World's Strongest Man will then become a clear favourite.

However, right now, with Hall training so much in boxing, this is anybody's match.

By Andrew Delaney